Our first keynote came from Lee Rainie, director of internet, science, and technology at Pew Research Center. He shared some soon-to-be-published data (keep an eye on libraries.pewinternet.org) that’s worth thinking about. He paired two trends: On the one hand, enthusiasm for the public library and librarians is on the rise. On the other, library use … Continue reading New Reports: Ebooks, Libraries, and Reading Trends
One current trend in library technology aims to improve the engagement of patrons with libraries or to provide tools to help users work more effectively. In many respects, the technologies on display reinforced the theme of the “Library Systems Report 2015,” operationalizing the innovations brewing in recent years, including the increased adoption of Semantic Web technologies … Continue reading A Look at Tech
In brief, this three-way partnership between the New York Public Library (NYPL), DPLA, and First Book (with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services) seeks to make free ebooks accessible to low-income children between the ages of 0 and 18. The books will be made available through the NYPL Library Simplified app (available in … Continue reading The Open Ebooks Initiative
But let’s focus on a new and better story. Disruption clears a path for pioneers, visionaries who see an opportunity where others see a threat. When it comes to ebooks, a few publishers are worthy of note. They not only experiment with technology in ways that significantly enhance the product, but they also reach out … Continue reading Digital publishing: In praise of pioneers
By contrast, the bookstore gets a 45% discount off the consumer price ($6.75) and makes $8.24. Having worked in bookstores myself, I know the margin is slim, and I have no quarrel with it. But I do have a quarrel with the library price. It is set, distributors assure me, by the publisher. But here’s … Continue reading DCL Ebook Report, July 2015
But I find myself wondering a bit about this paragraph: “As long as the reading public stays interested in print, libraries should not abandon it. At the same time, e-books are popular: Electronic waiting lists were hundreds of people long when e-books first arrived on the public library scene, though librarians say demand has leveled off somewhat … Continue reading The Washington Post on Libraries and Ebooks
What does an ebooks marketplace look like if, in addition to libraries, content providers are equally committed to a sustainable ecosystem that enables viability for all players—publishers, vendors, authors, libraries and, of course, readers? It looks a great deal like the session “Making Progress in Digital Content” that took place at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference, … Continue reading Making Progress in Digital Content
Search Axis with Boopsie Boopsie, a mobile platform-as-a-service provider for more than 4,000 libraries worldwide, has joined forces with digital content, print book, and entertainment product distributor Baker & Taylor to simplify searching for and finding a library’s e-content. The Boopsie mobile app is now integrated with Baker & Taylor’s Axis 360 digital media library. … Continue reading Apps for That
Our Canadian librarian colleagues are telling the world: Big publishers are ripping us off, big time. If you’re one of the Big Five publishers, this is the conversation you do not want to have. You have a product—the ebook file representing a book—and you insist that it be treated like a book in some ways. … Continue reading Canada, oh Canada: Fighting back on ebook pricing
At the same time, ALA and libraries have been exploring additional options for empowering our users to discover and publish digital content, considering privacy and preservation concerns, and expanding the lens of focus to other forms of digital content. The most recent round of John S. and James L. Knight Foundation challenge grants intersects in … Continue reading Empowering Libraries to Innovate
Noticing this, a librarian calls up some local merchants and tells them that Alice might be pregnant. When Alice visits her local bookstore, the staff has some great suggestions about newborn care for her. The local drugstore sends her coupons for scent-free skin lotion. She reads What to Expect When You’re Expecting at the library, … Continue reading Toward the Post-Privacy Library?
In the world according to Amazon, adult coloring books take four of the top 20 spots! Most readers of this blog are probably way ahead of me in the world of adult coloring, but I have to admit that my mind wandered a bit. Just how adult are these coloring books? If your mind is … Continue reading DCL Ebook Report, June 2015
